The present invention relates to a target used in shooting sports and, more particularly, a target system, commonly referred to as a falling dueling tree, in which a target is available to a shooter wherein the target moves laterally and vertically when hit by the shooter.
Metal shooting targets have been available on the market for many years. Some of those currently available on the market have multiple moving parts subject to wear especially in an outdoor environment. Others are designed for low power firearms such as rim-fire rifles and hence are destroyed by high power firearms. Still others may have a fixed target.
Increased availability of high-strength, ballistic steel plate has led to the availability of many such targets for high power firearms. One such target is known as a dueling tree wherein the dueling tree has multiple targets disposed upon an upstanding post, each target adapted to easily pivot from one side to another side in substantially the same vertical position upon the post. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,994,348 and 6,994,349 to Lambert, et al. Another such target comprises one or more movable targets are disposed upon an upstanding post, each target adapted to pivot from one side to another side upon impact by a projective and move downwardly during the pivoting movement. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,215 to Carroll.
Tradeoffs in constructing a movable target for high power firearms generally exchange target motion arrangements that are difficult to fabricate and provide crude control of target movement in exchange for a target motion designs that can be easily protected from bullet impacts and sufficiently robust to withstand the high impact forces resulting when bullets contact the target plates. A moveable target for high power firearms that is robust, protected from bullet impacts, easily fabricated, and offering more controlled movement of target plates would provide significant advantages over the prior art.